Dog Vet Questions - How to Choose

Posted by Gerald Njuguna on September 15th, 2007 at 02:11pm

Want to take your dog to the vet? I’m sure you have lots of questions in your mind concerning the best vet to work with. Where do you start from?

Normally, when searching for a dog vet, we look through the phone book until we find one close to our house.

But just like a doctor, you might not be happy with his “bedside” manner. I know of some folks who complain that their dog vet does not handle their dog carefully.

In this article we will try to answer some of your questions that you might have when choosing the best vet for your dog.

If you have close neighbours or family members that have pet animals, ask them for advice on a good vet. If they have someone in mind, ask the experience that they have had with him. Is he gently with the animal? Does he/she have a thorough understanding of the problem and after does he he explain it to you in an understandable way?

A good vet is not only good with animals, but also friendly with people. If your instincts make you feel uncomfortable about the him, dont go back. Even if he has a very good reputation, dont put yourself under pressure to go back.

Another place you might want to go is the Veterinary Medical Board to see if their is a complain lodged against the vet. You can also look at AAHA - American Animal Hospital Association. These are vet hospitals that have achieved high animal care standards. The vet hospitals in these associations fill out a comprehensive report revealing the equipment and services that they offer.

Later, a consultant goes and inspects the facilities of the vet hospitals to make sure they meet AAHA’s standards. The consultant in particular check out these areas: medical records, dentistry, anesthesia, dentistry and surgery.

When you have this piece of information beforehand, you will have some piece of mind before deciding on which vet to use. Currently, there are only about seventeen animal hospitals in the US & Canada that are affiliated with AAHA. To find these hospitals please search through the Healthypet’s Hospital Locator.

Now that you’ve decided which vet you are going to work with, make an appointment to meet the him as well as his staff. Make a mental note of how the staff interacts with other people in the hospital as with each other. When in the building, request them to allow you to tour the facility. It would be a good idea not to ask to take the tour in advance. This way you can see how the facility is kept without being warned of a visitor.

Check out the cleanliness of the facilities in particular the kennel areas. Should you see dirty kennels and animal droppings on the floor, it might indicate that probably they do not have enough staff to take care of the animals. Cleanliness is very important due to the spread of diseases among the animals. Do ask the vet if he will allow you to sit and watch when the pet is being treated. This will allow your to see how he handles the pet as well as the owner.

In the US, its a requirement that a vet practicing has to have graduated from an accredited school. Like any doc, the certificates and licenses are usually displayed somewhere in the office. If you cant see any displayed, ask him about it in a light touch. As you check it out, scrutinize it to see if its current.

Also do ask about the emergency care? Do they offer it? An accident can happen to your dog anytime and you need to know if they offer 24/7 emergency pet care?

If its at all possible, i would suggest that you get a vet that is close to your home. If you’ve taken pet insurance for your dog, find out if they will accept it. If they don’t, find out what payment plans they accept. Just be aware that vet bills can turn out to be very costly.

Getting a good vet that you are comfortable to work with will take you some effort. Compare notes and then finally go with your gut instinct.

NEWS UPDATE: I’ve come across this incredible resource book titled “Veterinary Secrets Revealed” written by Dr Andrew Jones who has practiced Veterinary Medicine for over 10 years. In his book, he reveals simple secrets to safeguard your pet’s health, Slash Vet Bills, and even save your pet’s life!

He teaches over 1,000 safe, natural and effective solutions for healing your pet that are easy to understand. You don’t need a degree in Veterinary Science to implement them I highly recommend this definitive manual if you are searching for information on vets, dog health and illnesses. To get more info, visit his site by clicking here->The Veterinary Secrets

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